Collapsible display shelf



Dec. 16, 1952 G. GARLAND COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY SHELF Filed May 5. 1948 IN V EN TOR. GE 0 RGB GARL AND ATI'UEVEY Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,621,801 CGLLAKSIBLE DISPLAY SHELF George Garland, New York, N. Y. Application May 5, 1948, Serial No. 25,135

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in collapsible furniture articles of the kind including a plurality of spaced shelves, and, more particularly, the aim of the invention is to provide a novel and valuable article and one well adapted for displaying merchandise in a shop window or elsewhere in a store, for use at horticulture exhibitions, county fairs and the like, as for the display of a collection of potted plants to the best advantage, and for other and miscellaneous display purposes at the places stated or otherwise.

According to the invention, there is provided a main structure, in the nature of a plane vertical wall, carrying a plurality of shelves, with each shelf hingedly connected at opposite ends to said wall, so that all the shelves when swung horizontal, extend outwardly from the wall. These shelves are thus hingedly mounted at different elevations, with each shelf thus placed above another of smaller size than the shelf therebelow. Said wall, also, at a level above the uppermost of the first-named shelves, carries a top shelf having a straight inner side and this top shelf at its straight side is hingedly connected to said wall.

The top shelf has a curved side, preferably defining an arc, while each of the first-named shelves also have curved sides which define in outline a fraction of an annulus; although the invention may be carried out by shaping the curved side of said top shelf other than as an arc, and by shaping the first-named shelves to have outlines other than defining a portion of an annulus. However, from now on, for brevity of description and clarity of explanation, it will be assumed that said top shelf has an arcuately curved outer side, that each of the first-named shelves has arcuately extending opposite sides, and that the arcs defined by both the opposite sides of a shelf including the top shelf have a common center.

In terms of the assumptions just made, as the invention is further carried out the lowermost of the first-named shelves has its outer side extended pursuant to a radius of curvature greater than that according to which the outer side of the next higher shelf is extended; the latter shelf has its outer side extended pursuant to a radius of curvature greater than that according to which the outer side of the next higher shelf is extended, and so on with all the first-named shelves; and the top shelf has its outer curved side extended to a radius of curvature less than the radius of curvature of the outer side of the uppermost of the first-named shelves. As a result, when all the shelves are horizontally extended, each shelf above another is stepped back from the latter; with the shelves arranged in tiers and each having one of its ends spaced 180 from its opposite end, whereby the entire assembly then gives the general effect of a skeletal truncated cone.

Further, according to the invention, the firstnamed shelves have their centers cut away and one or more panels are provided, which are vertically hingedly carried by the vertical wall, and which are stepped at their swinging ends, so that said panels may be moved within the cut away centers of the shelves to project angularly from the vertical wall to bring their said steps to positions such that each step of a panel provides a rest for a particular shelf at the same level as that of the hinge connection of that shelf to said wall, whereby, when all the shelves are lowered to horizontal position, they will be squarely and firmly supported on the panels.

In order to insure that in rearranging the device from its collapsed to its expanded condition the panels are finally symmetrically oifset from the vertical wall, means are provided, partially carried by the panels and partially carried by a shelf, for interengagement when, with that shelf horizontal, the panels are symmetrically offset from said wall.

A further feature of the new article of display furniture is the provision of an exposable area for carrying any desired advertising matter.

The new article may be quickly and easily expanded, for use; and between uses it may be expeditiously collapsed to exceedingly compact condition, with the panels and the shelves flat against the vertical wall.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, showing the collapsible article of the present invention, in expanded condition ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view thereof, in collapsed condition.

Fig. 3 shows the wall aforesaid, with shelves and panels detached for showing locations and mountings of the hinge means.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the top shelf,

per se.

Fig. 5 is a similar view, of the uppermost one of the first-named shelves per se.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on the 6-601 Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the 11 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the 88 of Fig. 5.

The collapsible article, according to the present invention,includes a vertical wall '16. The wall, as here shown, has a backing member H, for carrying any desired advertising matter in any suitable way, as by having its side remote from the wall l0 provided with well-known edgeengaging detents for placards and the like.

The shelves present are here shown as four in number; so that, in addition to the aforesaid top shelf, this marked l2, there are three shelves line line

line

I4, I5 and I6 therebelow, with each of these last an arcuately elongated one so as to constitute a segment of an annulus.

Two of the aforesaid panels are here shown as employed; these :being denoted by the reference characters I! and 18.

The top shelf I2 is connected to the wall 19 by hinges I9, 19. One leaf of each of these hinges is set flush, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, with the top edge of the wall l0, an accommodating recess being provided for each of said leaves. The other leaf of each of these hinges is set flush with the rear straight edge of said top shelf I2, the accommodating recesses for these leaves being seen at 20, 20 in Figs. 1 and 3.

The uppermost arcuate shelf M, with its two ends straight and aligned, has these ends connected to the wall ID by hinges 2|, 2i. One leaf of each of these hinges is set flush, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, with the front surface of the wall l0, accommodating recesses being provided in said wall for these leaves. The other leaf of one of the hinges 2| is set flush with one of the straight ends of the shelf I4, and the other leaf of the other of the hinges 2| is set flush with the other straight edge of the shelf It, the accommodating recesses for these leaves being seen at 22, 22 in Fig. 5.

In a similar manner, the next lower arcuate shelf I5 is at its opposite straight and aligned ends connected to the wall I by hinges 23, 23; and the next lower shelf I6 is at its opposite straight and aligned ends connected to the wall [0 by the hinges 24, 24.

Each of the panels [1 and I3 is a duplicate of the other, except at their portions where they are attached to the hinges by which they are swingably carried by the wall It. The pair of hinges for thus connecting the panel 1? to the wall ID are fully shown in Fig. 3, and partially shown in Fig. 2 at 25, 25; while the pair of hinges for thus connecting the panel I8 to the wall 10 are fully shown in Fig. 3, and partially shown in Fig. 2, at 2B, 26. It will be noted that, for compact collapsing of the parts, one leaf of each of said four hinges is set flush, as indicated in Fig. 3, with the front surface of the wall 10; that, in regard to the panel [1, the other leaf of each of its hinges 25, 25 is set flush with said panels inner end, in one of the recesses 27, 2? there provided; and that, in regard to the panel It, the other leaf of each of its hinges 26, 26 is set flush with said panels inner end, in one of the recesses 28, 28 there provided.

The panels H nd [8 have horizontal top edges 29, and therebelow a series of steps 30, 3| and 32. The top edges 29 are at the level marking the plane of the bottom of the top shelf [2 when horizontal; the steps 30 are at the level marking the plane of the bottom of the arcuate shelf 14 when horizontal; the steps 3| are at the level marking the plane of the bottom of the arcuate shelf when horizontal; and the steps 32 are at thelevel marking the plane of the bottom of the arcuate shelf 16 when horizontal.

Thus, incidental to swinging the panels I! and I8 from their collapsed condition flat against the wall as shown in Fig. 2, to positions for said panels like those shown in Fig. 1, all the shelves, when allowed to drop by their own weight, become relatively disposed as shown in Fig. 1.

As will be noted from Fig. 1, the display-shelf assembly is of a general spread and arrangement adapted for the most advantageous display of the articles to be placed on the various shelves. The outward archings of the arcuate shelves,

4 each shelf stepped forward relative to the shelf immediately thereabove, allows a multitudinous variety of most attractive displays to be made. The appearance of the structure when expanded is most pleasing to the eye, and the general balanced effect is perfected when the panels [1 and I8 are symmetrically offset from the wall It.

In order unerringly to attain such symmetry, and easily and quickly, and also adequately to lock the parts together for the maintenance of thesymmetry, a simple and efficient means is provided, here shown as partially carried by both panels and partially carried by the uppermost arcuate shelf l4; that is, the panel H has its step 30 interrupted by a minor step 34, and the panel l8 has a corresponding minor step 34, while, for receiving these minor steps, said shelf M has cut-outs 35 and 36. Said cut-outs, as here shown, are so located that with the minor steps of the panels therein the panels are held to converge symmetrically toward the wall and with an included angle of about While the shelves I2, l4, I5 and it are shown on the drawing as being curvilinear this is by way of illustration only, as these shelves may have any desired shape or configuration.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as delined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United .States Letters Patent is:

In a display stand having a ertical wall and a plurality of superimposed shelves each formed of a strip of material of semi-circular shape with opposed ends of the shelves abutting one face of the vertical wall on opposite sides of the vertical center of the wall, means pivotally attaching the opposed ends of the shelves to the one face of the wall to be pivoted upward against the one face of the wall, a vertical panel pivotally attached along one edge to the vertical center of the vertical wall to extend forward therefrom, said panel having vertically spaced steps forming rests for supporting the shelves extended horizontally from the vertical wall, and means interconnecting said panel and the shelves retaining said panel in its forwardly extended shelf supporting position, said interconnecting means comprising a minor step formed on said vertical panel and a cutout formed in the rear edge of the shelf and into which the minor step of said panel extends.

GEORGE GARLAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 121,541 Nourse Dec. 5, 1871 182,787 Adams Oct. 3, 1876 290,789 Nagele l Dec. 25, 1883 485,627 Hamblin Nov. 8, 1892 635,940 Minnix Oct. 31, 1899 1,590,903 Neville June 29, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 463,424 "Great Britain Mar. 30, 1937 

